Staff Picks

Diverse Voices in Horror

Check out these titles for terrifying tales from a wide array of voices!  
Staff Picks

What We're Reading: December 2023

Check out what the members of the Richland Library Team are reading this month! All titles linked here are in print format, but check the catalog and our What We're Reading Libby shelf for eBooks and eAudiobooks. 
Staff Picks

Quick Reads

Love to read but short on time? Trying to complete a yearly reading goal like the #BroaderBookshelf Reading Challenge? In a reading slump? Check out one of these quick reads to get you back on track and feel accomplished! Need more inspiration? Try our Personalized Reading Recommendations. 
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2023 Manga Debuts For Teens

Check out some of the newest manga series taking bloom, and start what may become a long-lasting reading relationship.
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2023 Graphic Novels For Teens

These are just some of the comics that readers have enjoyed and come back looking for readalikes. 
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2023 Teen Science Fiction and Fantasy

Magic and technology, two powerful forces for worldbuilding and imagination, can be found in these titles. Turn the page and find something extraordinary.
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2023 Teen Fiction Debut Authors

Every year brings a treasure trove of new voices in young adult literature, and 2023 is no exception. There's nothing like discovering a rising star while they're still starting out. Find your new favorites here.
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2023 Issue-Driven Teen Titles

Contemporary issues of race, class, sex, gender, and climate drive the real and fictional stories behind these books. Seeing new perspectives, how others take action, and what can be done now are important windows books can open.
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2023 Teen Fiction Horror

Which kind of horror is more your style? Murder mystery thrillers, supernatural transformations, evil influences, or anthologies that offer all of the above? You will find all that and more in this unnerving list.
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2023 Teen Nonfiction Favorites

Stories of survival, stereotypes, and self-improvement are not limited to fiction. Sometimes the most amazing journey to read about comes from real life, or even discovering yourself.
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2023 Page To Screen Teen Titles

Some of the hottest shows and movies coming out this year are based on teen fiction titles. Reading a story first before watching its adaptation can be a rewarding way to experience a story.
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2023 Teen Fiction For Younger Teens

"Young adult" can be a pretty broad category when it comes to age groups. These are some good picks for teens that are more "young" and less "adult."
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2023 Teen Series Additions

Keep the love of a good book going by sharing its sequel, too. These series additions came out in 2023 and may come as a surprise to their fans.
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2023 Teen Book Award Winners

The critics have spoken and these are the cream of the youth lit crop, at least until next year's awards.
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LibraryReads for December 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in December 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

2023 Best Middle Grade and Teen Books featuring Diverse Characters or Experiences

Selected by Richland Library staff, these books represent some of our favorite stories (and non-fiction) featuring diverse characters published in 2023--plus a few older titles that we wanted to make sure you didn't miss.   Looking for even more good books?  Check out our personalized recommendations or call us at 803-799-9084. 
Staff Picks

New in Science

In addition to titles from perennial best-sellers Carlo Rovelli (White Holes) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (To Infinity & Beyond), recent science publications include a new edition of a monumental classic,
Staff Picks

New and Notable Biographies and Memoirs

You’ve probably already heard of the new memoirs by Barbra Streisand (My Name Is Barbra) and Britney Spears (The Woman in Me), but here are some other recent releases you might find worth a read.
Staff Picks

Hosting the Holidays

Whether you're hosting a holiday meal or just inviting friends over for a potluck, the season of entertaining is upon us! These books can help you get inspired and ready to take on any size crowd.

Feb 13 10:00 a.m.

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Richland Library Ballentine

All Booked Up

Join us for a book group discussion of this month’s title, The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guilory.

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Richland Library Main

Queer Authors and Intersectionality: A Reading List

This blog post introduces some queer authors who explore intersectionality. Whether you are looking for poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or graphic novels, this reading list will provide works that resonate.

Staff Picks

Fairy Tale Retellings in Teen Fiction

Fairy tales, myths, and legends have endured for centuries. They are passed down across generations, with each new storyteller adding their own twist or putting a familiar story in a new setting. This list is for readers who love fairy tales while wanting to see something new or different from them. These stories have long roots from the past that have grown into new branches in the present.
Staff Picks

Walter Mosley's World

Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America. He is the author of more than sixty critically acclaimed books that cover a wide range of ideas, genres, and forms including fiction (literary, mystery, and science fiction), political monographs, writing guides including Elements of Fiction, a memoir in paintings, and a young adult novel called 47. His work has been translated into twenty-five languages. (Author's Website) 

Jan 09 10:00 a.m.

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Richland Library Ballentine

All Booked Up

Join us for a book group discussion of this month’s title, The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers.

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Staff Picks

LibraryReads for November 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in November 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

Teen Horror & Thrillers | 2023 Releases

In the mood for something a little scary and/or thrilling? Check out these 2023 releases to find the perfect title for this Halloween season!
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South Carolina Cartoonist Jak Smyrl

Jak Smyrl (1923–2007) delighted readers of The State newspaper with his illustrations for more than thirty-seven years.  His reputation was such that the South Carolina State Legislature passed a resolution honoring him in what turned out to be the last year of his life.

Staff Picks

Stories to Listen to After Dark! 2023

Need a good ghost story to  listen to this spooky season?! Here are some scary and not-so- scary middle grade books released in 2023 to get listeners in the Spooky Spirit. Cozy up with your favorite blanket as you listen to some of these hair raising tales!
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8 Books for October

Here's a tiny selection of October's bounty of new releases...

Staff Picks

2023 Charleston Literary Festival Authors

The Charleston Literary Festival, which will run from 3 to 12 November, has entered the lit-fest big leagues, to judge from the roster of writers participating this year.  In addition to contemporary fiction stars such as Rebecca Makkai and Claire Keegan, luminaries such as Lorrie Moore, Richard Ford, and Margaret Atwood are also on the list.  Nonfiction is well represented too, with noted historians Simon Schama and Simon Sebag Montefiore, public TV regular Lucy Worsley, perennial best-seller Tracy Kidder, and New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik.
Staff Picks

Children's Horror | 2023 Releases

In the mood for something a little scary? Check out these 2023 releases to find the perfect title for this Halloween season!
Staff Picks

Spooky Comics For Tween Readers

Spooky season is here, and with it comes - whoa, hey, I didn't mean to scare you. Here, let's turn on some more lights. These horror comics have frights and spectacle, but they're not quite as intense or gratuitous as more mature comics out there.
Staff Picks

Horror Comics To Keep You Up At Night

Spooky season is here, and with it comes a horrific host of graphic novels to make your skin crawl via print and digital. These titles may include death, gore, and/or disturbing imagery - the stuff nightmares are made of!
Staff Picks

Most Challenged Books Since 2020

According to a recently released report from the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, there has been a 20% increase in the number of unique titles challenged since this time last year.  Most of the books challenged in that period were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community or people of color. 
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for October 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in October 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
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First Steps to the Library: Where is Thumbkin? Here I Am!

First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills.  This month's school readiness skill is about building your little one's social skills through conversation.  

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Richland Library Main

7 Books for September

Exploring the wilderness and family drama are hot topics in this crop of new releases.

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Richland Library Main

The Underworld: A Book Review

After the flurry of news surrounding the ill-fated submersible, Titan, this summer, Susan Casey's timely new book The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean takes readers on a world tour to some of the oceans' greatest unknowns.

Staff Picks

LibraryReads for September 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in September 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

Back to School Titles for Teen Readers

Starting a new school year is filled with so many new adventures and feelings. Check out these titles for teen readers to help prepare for the upcoming academic year!
Staff Picks

Back to School Titles for Younger Readers

Starting a new school year is filled with so many new adventures and feelings. Check out these titles for younger readers to help prepare for the upcoming academic year!
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First Steps to the Library: Do You Need Directions?

First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills.  This month's school readiness skill is about growing your child's knowledge of early math concepts like direction, size and shape.  

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Richland Library Main

Ten New Books for August

August is jam-packed with new releases. Including a new title from James McBride!

Staff Picks

Social Media in Teen Fiction

Are you addicted to the world of likes and shares? Are comments and connections worth the toxicity and loss of privacy? Or are you keeping your distance and disregarding what the world thinks? Social media can be an all-consuming popularity contest full of posing and fake glamour. It can also be a lifeline, tutor, and rallying cry. The books on this list depict social media as all that and more, sometimes with extreme drama, other times with heart.
Staff Picks

2023 Booker Prize Longlist

The longlist for the 2023 Booker Prize has just been announced.  This major award recognizes English-language fiction published in the UK and Ireland.  The winner will be announced in November; in the meantime, check out the following longlist titles from our collection.
Staff Picks

Big Transitions for Little Humans

Life is full of transitions: big or small, they are all important in the life of a child. Books are a great way to introduce children to new ideas, concepts, and experiences. Transitions including going to a new school--or going to school for the first time--and moving houses, cities, and states are huge milestones in a child's life and can be made more understandable and relatable through this list of picture books at Richland Library. If you have questions or would like to place books on hold, call the Children's Room at Main at (803) 929-3434. We're always happy to help you!
Staff Picks

2023 First Novel Prize Longlist

The longlist for the 2023 First Novel Prize has just been announced.  This prize, created by the Center for Fiction to honor the best debut novel of the year, was first awarded in 2006.  This year's prizewinner will be announced in December.  In the meantime, check out these longlist titles from our collection.
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for August 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in August 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

"Where are your boy books for teens?" - Fantasy

If you are looking for books with male protagonists across a variety of genres, then this series of booklists has plenty to recommend. This list features books about magic, kingdoms, and supernatural beings.
Staff Picks

"Where are your boy books for teens?" - Contemporary

If you are looking for books with male protagonists across a variety of genres, then this series of booklists has plenty to recommend. This list features books that take place away from spies, spaceships, and superheroes. Sometimes the real world is just more interesting.
Staff Picks

"Where are your boy books for teens?" - Sci Fi & Dystopian

If you are looking for books with male protagonists across a variety of genres, then this series of booklists has plenty to recommend. This list features books about strange worlds, scientific phenomena, superpowers, and surviving the end of the world.
Staff Picks

"Where are your boy books for teens?" - Sports

If you are looking for books with male protagonists across a variety of genres, then this series of booklists has plenty to recommend. This list features books about athletes and the role sports play in their lives.
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While You're Waiting for...Lessons in Chemistry

Lessons in Chemistry was a GMA book club pick and a TV series is coming out later this year. Check out theses similar titles while you wait for your hold...
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2023 International Booker Prize

Bulgarian novelist Georgi Gospodinov's Time Shelter has won the 2023 International Booker Prize.  This prize was created in 2004 to recognize works of fiction that weren't eligible for the regular Booker Prize (awarded to books by authors hailing from anywhere in the British Commonwealth).  Check out this prizewinning title, as well as these other nominees for the 2023 prize.
Staff Picks

Animal Behavior

If you've ever wondered what elephant think, or how cats evolved, or how whales communicate, or how hundreds of birds know how to fly together without running into one another, check out one of these books! 
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for July 2023

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in July 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
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Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Big Words & Big Dreams

First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about growing your child's proficiency with your home language.